In Saxony, one in three degree programs has admission restrictions

In Saxony, prospective students can expect to face a numerus clausus (NC) or an aptitude test for roughly one in every three degree programs. With 34.4 percent of degree programs subject to admission restrictions, the Free State of Saxony ranks in the upper middle range and is slightly above the national average of around 32 percent, according to an analysis by the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE). Compared to the 2025/2026 winter semester, the proportion remains at a nearly unchanged level.

For the analysis, the CHE evaluated entries from the nationwide HRK Hochschulkompass database as of the end of May 2026. These figures apply to the 2026/2027 winter semester. A degree program is considered to have restricted admission if it has an admission cutoff score (NC), a selection process, or an aptitude test.

Leipzig Has More Admission Restrictions

There are significant differences between Saxony’s two largest cities: According to the data, 58 percent of degree programs in Leipzig have an NC or some other admission procedure. In Dresden, the figure is 34 percent. The analysis lists only locations with more than 15,000 students individually; therefore, no data is available for the remaining university and college locations in Saxony.

In Saxony, degree programs in law, economics, social sciences, and the humanities are relatively frequently subject to admission restrictions (27.9 percent). In engineering, however, the figure is only about one-sixth. In the fields of medicine and pharmacy, all degree programs in Saxony—as well as nationwide—have a 100 percent admission quota.

Thuringia Has the Lowest Rate

In a nationwide comparison, the proportion of degree programs with admission quotas is by far the highest in Berlin. Admission restrictions apply to just under 54 percent of degree programs there. First-year students in Thuringia have it significantly easier, with a rate of 16.8 percent. This is just shy of the lowest rate, ahead of Brandenburg (17.2 percent) and Rhineland-Palatinate (17.3 percent).